User blog:AuraPhoenixx/Original Character Tutorial
I've seen a few of these tutorials going around, so I thought I'd make one of my own. I run an OC review on the site Quotev, so I really hope that the advice I give you is to the quality you'd expect. Also, if you'd like me to personally review your OC, I'd love to help, anytime. I do quite a lot of research. Also, before we start, any re-creation or altering of an already existing character does not count as an OC. Let's begin, with the basics. 'PERSONIFIED:' You can't exactly just personify some little street, town, or stretch of land anywhere. You have to choose an actual place with an actual land, name, and history. Keep in mind that a lot of the places are already represented on canon characters by their physical attributes. Some non-physical things can be personified, but the possible list is fairly short, for that choice. Also, keep in mind that it isn't advised to do anything that is bigger than the countries themselves, unless you have a lot of experience. For example ... Do - Slovakia, Luxembourg, Québec, Texas, Ethiopia, Brazil, Friesland, North Holland, Republic of Ireland, Hanzhou Province, etc. Don't - A street, An animal order (such as Cetacea or Canidae), A newly established town, A planet, A weather, etc. 'GENDER:' The most widely debated topic, which is sure to give you a headache, unless you do this properly. The gender has everything to do with the region's history, culture, rights, and population - not your personal choice. I find, personally, that the female gender is over-used, and has been found in ridiculously inappropriate places. For example, if you're personifying a place in Britain, you wouldn't make them female (since Britain has been declared the world's most sexist country), unless they have a prominent female character - even if you're female and would feel more comfortable playing your own gender. You really don't get a choice with this one, but it's still quite fun. Learn to make and use OCs of all genders, including gender-fluid, transgender, etc. 'HUMAN NAME:' This is one of the most stressful things to decide. The big rule is that it has to fit in with your personified area. For example, if your OC is Russian, you'd give them a Russian name such as Valentina, and not some weird, non-suitable name such as Eunice, or, a common error, a Japanese name, such as Aiko. The first name is pretty free to interpret. The surname, though it is common to name them after the canon character who they are part of or has good relations with, I would recommend you find them a completely new one, just to showcase their individuality, and history. For example, if your OC personifies Ile-De-France, sure you might want to give them the surname Bonnefoy, though it is not always recommended. I would recommend giving them the surname of a prominent historical character for that region, such as, back on the example of Ile-De-France, Baptiste (after Gaston Jean Baptiste). 'APPEARANCE:' Probably the easiest part of your OC to develop, if you understand the mechanics. Now, before we begin, I'd like to tell you of this one person who, instead of doing research, simply made random assumptions about the place they personified, throwing in random traits out of the blue! We don't want to do that. Now, the first thing I would do, is research the people of the region your OC personifies, and copy from that. For example, if your character is personifying a place in Asia, they would have brown hair and brown eyes, not crazy colours everywhere (unless it's a big trend there). Physical age? Research history. How long have they been around? How much have they matured? Or, you can try doing some comparisons with canon characters, and their countries. Find the average height and weight for (gender), (physical age) in said region. Now, onto the fun part! Any special traits? For example, if your region is known for having a high obesity rate, they might be a little chubby. They might have scars from past invasions, battles, and wars. Perhaps accessories on their person could represent things. To give an example, I had this headcanon for APH Canada, saying that his glasses are a token to WWI, after he recieved permanent eye damage in the Second Battle of Ypres. I even added the detail that there are little poppies on the frame. Good! Obstacle cleared! 'PERSONALITY:' This is just as difficult as choosing a gender, if not more. A common strategy advised for less experienced OC makers, is to find stereotypes for the certain region, then alter them slightly after each major event in their history. This is very much recommended. What else you could do, is research some fun facts. Once again, back to my APH Canada headcanons as an example, he is a comedic person because of the Just For Laughs festival in Montréal, which is the world's biggest international comedy festival. This will take slightly longer, and will need you to make strong connections with the region's culture as well. So if you're looking for an OC on the run, or am new to the business, I suggest using the former. Also, keep in mind that there is a human part of them. Maybe, because they're so busy, they rarely have time for leisure, and might not have as many hobbies? 'CHARACTER RELATIONS:' Typically a straightforward part of your character. Research history and politics (if your character is a country, Wikipedia is very useful for doing a quick skim of all country relations), to determine who is their friend, and who is their foe, then work from there. Keep in mind that, if your OC is not a country, they wouldn't just be interacting with countries, but with other regions, both foreign and domnestic. And if your OC is a country, might they be interacting with their regions, and/or capital city? --- That is all I have to say for the moment, though there is definitely more to fleshing out your character! If you'd like to ask something, go right ahead! Category:Blog posts Category:Blog posts